Catalytic effect of aluminum on the structural, optical, and electrical properties of LaSrCrO3-δ anode

Solid oxide fuel cell is promising conversion technology due to fuel flexibility, higher efficiency, and environment friendly compared to traditional technology. To enhance the efficiency of the device, selection of anode material is important because it affects the electrochemical performance and operating temperature of the cell. In this work, La0.5Sr0.5AlxCr1-xO3-δ (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4) anode has been developed using sol-gel method. XRD analysis exhibited a two-phase structure of the prepared anode, one orthorhombic and second rhombohedral phase with crystalline size in the range 15–18 nm. The surface morphology of the prepared anode material shows nano-spheres, dumbbells, and platelets. The elemental analysis confirms the presence of Sr, Cr, La, Al, and O in the prepared material. The metal-oxide formation has been confirmed with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. The absorption spectra revealed red shift in bandgap 2.85–3.65 eV by increasing the Al concentration. The maximum dc electrical conductivity of the composition anode La0.5Sr0.5Al0.4Cr0.6O3-δ is found to be 8.01 Scm−1 at 600 °C. The achieved power density of the anode La0.5Sr0.5Al0.4Cr0.6O3-δ is 69 mWcm−2 using hydrogen fuel at 600 °C.